The Fighter
by Find-A-Way-Today
Summary: Let it be known throughout the world, let people sing it in the songs of champions and from the stances of their battle that she was a fighter. Sakura Haruno, fresh out of the Pokemon academy is ready for the adventure of a lifetime with her Pokemon and team by her side. Of course, no one ever said it would be easy, but she'll take it in stride because she's a fighter. (Naru-Poke)


Hey guys!

This is just a little idea that popped into my head. So you know just tell me if you like it or not, cause if you do I will gladly continue!

-Find-A-Way-Today

"Sakura! Sakura, wait a minute!"

She stopped mid-stride, frozen as a medley of thoughts assaulted her nervous mind. _Kuso! I knew she would never let me go that easy_. The scrape of sandals on the dirt path drew her gaze from the ever-fascinating sneakers on her feet, and up to the wizened gaze of Lady Haruno. She was prepared for the worst.

Her mother smiled at her, a hint of bitterness that had long since become routine clung to the edges of her lips, but it was a smile nonetheless as she handed over a small brown parcel. "Now don't open it up until you get to the academy okay?" She said, her old jade eyes twinkling with to many things to count. Her own younger eyes gleamed as she nodded and slid the parcel wrapped with butcher paper into her red satchel.

Sakura half smirked, half smiled, and dodged when her mother tried to ruffle her ponytail. "Mom!" she groused, glaring in a playful banter sort of way at the woman who had taken care of her for the thirteen years she'd been on earth. "You know I hate it when you do that, right Mom?" she asked, fiddling with her off-white base ball cap that had seen way too many years of adventure to still be intact.

Her Mom smirked at her, evilly. The sudden urge to cower and beg for mercy almost overwhelmed her. "Of course I know you hate it. That's exactly why I do it of course." The blond haired Haruno laughed when Sakura groaned, a single drop of sweat on her brow. As quick as the laughter had started though, it stopped, and her mother was all seriousness with frown lines etched deep in her face again. "Sakura." She said, and the girl in question knew that tone of voice all to well.

Her jade eyes hardened, and she balled a fist. "Mom, no. I'm going."

"You don't have to you know." She went on, making Sakura feel all the more guilty about their farewell. "You could still stay here with me. I promise it'll be fun! You could work with me every day in the bakery and I'll let you have your own kind of cookie and-"

"Mom!" Her voice was firm and steady like her eyes, even though inside her stomach was churning with a thousand emotions that screamed at her. But she had to do this, she wouldn't stand to sit here for the rest of her life and be just the widow baker's daughter. She knew that there was something more out there for her, and she was never going to find it in her mother's bakery, or inside the walls of Konohagakure for that matter. "I have to do this. It's been my dream since I was a little girl and you know that." Her mother looked close to tears, but Sakura pushed on. She had to make her understand. "Mom… It's just that, well, I'd never be happy here. There's this big empty space in my heart and there is nothing in this town that can fill it." The tears came, big and messy from her Mother's faded mossy eyes but she didn't stop. "I have to do this. I have to become a Pokémon trainer. We were put on our teams yesterday, so I wont be alone, alright?"

Sakura heaved a great sigh, and watched as her mother silently sobbed. _Don't give in._ She thought, although it was much easier to think it than to do it.

"Sakura-"

"I'm sorry mom. This is my life, and this is what I've chosen to do with it. It's my path to walk and I'll come back someday, alright?" She hoped she could make peace with her mom now. She had always hated leaving things on a bad note, and consequently the last thing she wanted to do was leave on the adventure of her life knowing that her mom hated her.

Her mother had stopped crying, her light kohl was smudged into a raccoon mask around her eyes and her mouth was set in a thin, tight line. Sakura fought hard to stand tall under the last-ditch attempt look her mother pinned her with, because she was strong and she could do this because she had dreamed of it since before her daddy died. "You'd better come back." She whispered, voice hoarse from crying. "You'd better come back, and when you do, then we can talk about the road you chose to walk in life Sakura. Until then, be safe."

Sakura nodded, her green eyes fiery as she held her stance. "I will mom."

There was no goodbye hug. No kisses and whispers of having fun or making sure to visit the Pokémon center every day and nonsense things like that. Her mother had simply dusted off her apron (as if there was anything to dust off) turned around, and walked away.

"Hmph." She muttered, kicking a stone out of the way. It skittered across the path and into the brush. "Thanks a lot mom." She'd known her mother had always been sour to the idea of her becoming a Pokémon trainer, hell, her mom was sour to any idea that didn't involve her being married off to some rich Daimyo, or becoming a lonely old baker with no one to talk to but her equally old glameow.

"Sakura-Chan!" She jumped slightly, startled out of her inner fuming by the call of her Academy teacher Iruka. The big ugly scar on his face crinkled when he smiled and waved her over. She waved back. "Come here, I want to talk to you about something."

Only when his head had disappeared back into the Academy training room, did Sakura gulp and wipe her sweaty brow. _Oh Kami._ She thought. _What, is he going to evict my training license already? I've only had it for what, a day? Or worse maybe it's my mom- No. She got the point._ She sighed, told herself she was overreacting for nothing – again – and after retrieving her red leather satchel from the base of an old oak she made her way inside the class.

The obnoxiously bright overhead lights were on, despite it being daytime, and Iruka-Sensei was in the corner filing paperwork at his desk like he always was. A diagram of the poke-ball and its inner mechanisms was scratched on the chalkboard, faded from days ago but still eligible. She'd gotten and A+ on that test.

"_Ee-Eevee_!"

Sakura grinned and opened her arms just in time to catch the brown fur ball as it catapulted into her arms. The Eevee licked her face, smothering her in wet kisses as she giggled while attempting to protest. "Eevee! Eevee stop that, c'mon now."

The evolution Pokémon halted for a moment, as if heeding her request before grinning, proclaiming its namesake once more and returning to it's previous tongue bath by force. Sakura laughed again, and managed to peel back the familiar Pokémon before setting on a nearby desk. A frown flashed across her face for a moment. Eevee's were cute, she had wanted one but her friend Ino already had one. It was a present from her dad when they graduated.

"Eevee! Don't be rude now." She turned to see Iruka-Sensei had gotten up, and was now standing next to her. "Sorry about that Sakura. All the Academy Pokémon have been a little bored since everyone graduated on Friday. Since the new kids don't come in until tomorrow they've just been sitting around." It was Sunday today, and she was due to meet up with her team on the other side of the Konoha forest by sundown.

"So Iruka-Sensei, what exactly did you want to talk to me about?"

Her academy teacher looked lost for a moment, before chuckling an embarrassed chuckle and smiling sheepishly. "Ah, yes that. Sakura I was wondering if you had a Pokémon yet?"

Sakura suddenly felt like she'd been punched in the gut_. No!_ She wanted to scream. _I don't have a Pokémon and you know that Iruka-Sensei! I'm not from some special clan where you get a Pokémon practically wrapped up and tied with a bow the day you graduate_. She could feel the heat burning in her cheeks, as she muttered "No."

Iruka 'hummed' before suddenly snapping his fingers together. The grin that split his face told Sakura that he must've hatched a plan of epic proportions, and she really hoped that plan involved her. "Come with me Sakura-Chan, I think I can fix your little Pokémon problem."

He led her to a generic doorway at the end of the Academy hallway, she glanced up at the plaque above the door that read "Authorized personal only: Enter only with Pokémon at present" She gulped. Iruka must've heard her because he chuckled and eyed her warmly over he shoulder as he punched in a pin number he clearly knew by heart. "Don't worry Sakura-Chan. I've got both Furret and Vaporeon with me, not that there's anything you should be afraid of in here."

Sakura nodded, her confidence returning to her because she was no longer some silly little scared pre-graduate, no she was a licensed Pokémon trainer now and she was determined to start acting like it. The lock chirped at them, and belted out a cryptic "Access accepted" as her Sensei slid the door back. She recognized the room instantly, the bleached white walls, Pokémon incubators, training bunker, and other equipment could belong nowhere else but in the Hokage's own personal Pokémon lab.

"Oh. Hello Iruka. Ah, and you brought Sakura with you! Perfect!" Of course, the aged man with the mile long beard, otherwise known as the Hokage that stood, hunched over a poke ball might've helped give it away. Sakura stood, practically frozen as her academy teacher walked away and left her to take in the grandeur of the lab alone. Her eyes practically zero-ed in on the poke ball that demanded her Hokage's attention, as it was strapped to a peculiar machine that Sakura knew was used to keep Pokémon inside their poke balls, even when they didn't want to be. "Well come here child, don't be shy now." Her brain told her to stay away because whatever was in that poke ball was probably dangerous, but her natural curiosity got the better of her (again) and so she trotted over to the Hokage.

"Yes Hokage-Sama?" She bowed once she got close enough to him, and fought the urge to shrink back in the presence of one of the most powerful Pokémon trainers the world had ever known.

The Hokage waved her off and chuckled. "So polite. No wonder your Iruka's favorite. No need for formalities here my child, we're all friends." He placed an old, warm hand on her back and beckoned her closer. "Do you know what this is my child?" he asked, gesturing with a shaking hand towards the poke ball.

Seriously? She thought for a moment, before shaking her head and nodding. "Um, yes of course Hokage-Sama. It's a poke ball."

He laughed to himself and Sakura surmised that it must be some old person inside joke. "How silly of me. Of course you do, you were the top of your class. Any who I have a favor to ask of you Sakura, a very important favor. Do you think you could take it on for me?" She nodded wildly, because this was the Hokage who somehow knew her name, and because somewhere deep inside she had the feeling this favor involved that shiny red poke ball. "Excellent. Well you see about a year ago an old student of mine who's traveling abroad and – Well, to make a long story short she found a very rare Pokémon egg, and sent it to me. Around a month ago it hatched and I was delighted to discover it was quite the rare Pokémon."

Sakura's palms were already sweating, and she feared the Hokage could hear her heart thumping wildly behind her tiny ribs. "Demo, Hokage-Sama then what's the problem? And what does this have to do with me?"

The Hokage frowned, and then his ancient tea colored eyes twinkled once they landed on her. "Well you see the only problem lies in the Pokémon's, erm, dislike of its poke ball. This happens occasionally to certain Pokémon, because like us some Pokémon don't like to be cooped up. But the problem is a Pokémon like this cannot just be left to sit around, and I don't have the time to go on another grand adventure to train it and seek it's true potential." He chuckled. "Hah. Half the time I don't think my old bones could handle another walk up the stairs, let alone a journey with Pokémon."

Her stomach was madly doing summersaults inside of her, her heart leapt when her racing mind- always one step ahead of everyone else- drew to a conclusion. "Sakura Haruno, will you, by request of the Hokage of Konohagakure, take on this Pokémon as your partner for as long as you live and stand to battle?"

Her jade eyes twinkled, and she barely managed to choke a squeaky "Yes" past the rising excitement in her throat.

"Good." The Hokage reached for his gnarled walking stick, and nodded his spotted head in her direction with mischief twinkling in his eyes and promise set in the curve of his lips. " I'll leave you to discover your new Pokémon then. Oh, and bye the way, sundown is in about two hours so I suggest you get moving if you don't want to miss your rendezevous point."

The shuffle of his feet and the click of his cane on the tile floor died out when the heavy metal door closed. Only then did Sakura feel as if she might be able to breathe again. "Oh my Kami." She whispered, eyes glued to the sparkling red poke ball as it sat in the strange device, just an arms length away. "I can't believe it." She laughed. "No wait, I definitely can believe it. It's just I never thought… oh well."

She had really, truly meant to wait at least five minutes before opening the poke ball; honestly, it's just that when she turned away to take in the glory of the Hokage's lab, something… strange pulled at her heart. A feeling, almost like a little voice called out to her and begged for her not to turn away. So she didn't, she gave into temptation and that tiny crying voice and she reached for the sinful red poke ball.

The feeling that went through her when her fingers glanced the surface could only be described as something like lightning that doesn't burn. It shot down her arm, coiled in her stomach and rolled down into her toes all before coming back up again. A flash of white light sprung from the poke ball, and Sakura drew her hand back with haste to protect her eyes, but not for long.

"Riolu!"


End file.
